Using fresh figs

[Paul Kierstead]

Well, more accurately, I want to get a fig or two, not give a fig, but where would the fun be in that? I know nothing of figs. Nada.

I have a recipe(*) that calls for "figs". Now would that be taken to automatically assume to mean those sort of dried figs one commonly finds at the supermarket, or is there some fresh form used that I have no chance of finding?

(*) Fig-stuffed roast pork loing in Ad Hoc at Home, specifically.

[Anna N]

Not recommending because I have never tried them but my local (Ontario) supermarket had frozen figs in the freezer case last week. Anyone have any experience with frozen figs?

[howsmatt]

Cut the fresh figs and melon ball out the insides. Stuff with boursin then refill with pulp. Wrap in prosciutto and cook in hot oven until prosciutto is crisp. Great seller on my canape list.

Also good with beef tartar.

Fig jam will keep a while and is good with lots of things.

Drizzle with honey and serve with a cheese plate.

Enjoy fast, according to my distributor they are going up in price and down in quality now.

[Tom Gengo]

HELP. I am having a great problem. I am harvesting over 2 pounds of figs per day. I am anticipating getting another 10-15 pounds over the next week. I have 8 pounds right now that will become fig chutney and fig preserves. I have frozen 10 pounds (freeze in a 1/2 pan then put in a vaccuum seal bag.) Other than fresh on salads, eating out of hand, etc., what are some recommendations for these divine little purple jewels.

In the past I have attempted dehydrating them, but they come out lik e little purple stones... I know that I am removing too much moisture, but can't seem to get the figs right. Never a prob to dehydrate cherries, tomatoes, cranberries, etc.

I am open to suggestions for both the fresh and frozen figs. Oh, they are not shippable or I would share them. Oh, thinking of making a fig BBQ sauce.

[HungryC]

Damn, my 4 yo old tree gave me four figs this year....I wish I had your problem! How about fig upside down cake? Or figs in caramel syrup (packed into jars), or just making a fig puree for freezing? The puree/paste idea might work for dehydration, rather than using whole fruits...and there's always fruit leather.

[FoodMuse]

Here's my goto fig dish:

Snip off the top of the fig and slice an X so you create a sort of a pocket.

Shove as much herbed(this is key, plain won't do it) goat cheese into the pocket as you can.

Wrap each fig in a slice of bacon and grill.

Drizzle with a mild honey.

Brilliant.

[Pierogi]

Over in the dinner thread I described what one reply lovingly called "fig bombs". Such they will remain named....

Figs, sliced in half and each half smeared with a mixture of 4 oz. softened cream cheese, about 2 oz. crumbled feta, and 2 large garlic cloves, minced. Sprinkle the cheese topping with coarse black pepper, and wrap each little figgy jewel in a strip of prosciutto. It was amazingly good, and kept well until the next day's lunch also. You could also use a bleu cheese in place of the feta, but with that one I think I'd skip the garlic.

Last night I made a quick, fig crisp for dessert. Chunked up the last of the fresh ones from last week, a little sugar, cornstarch and water in a small ramikin, and topped with the traditional crunch topping of flour/sugar/butter. Baked and served with thick cream. That was pretty good too.

[suzilightning]

like food muse but stuff with blue cheese and drape with prosciutto de san danielle then 5 minutes of so in a 400F oven

sang, just gave back the keller book but i think i remember they were dried figs.

can you slice and dehydrate?

fresh fig bars?

process and jar with some honey/juice?

good luck or if you want to ship them to me,...

[Pierogi]

Several more ideas just came to mind....

Fig clafouti sounds like it would be delightful. Fig crostatas are classic of course.

For more savory, the August Bon Appetit has a recipe for a grilled pizza with figs and Italian sausages. I believe the dough was dressed with a vinaigrette made with pomegranite molasses. Unfortunately, the magazine's already been picked up by the recyling guys, or I'd give you more details....

[lemniscate]

A friend of mine gave me a bagful of fresh figs recently. I didn't know what to do with them either. I made a fig smoothie and was extremely happy about how it tasted. A little honey, a couple figs, some greek yogurt and fresh mint was really, really good. I had one everyday until the figs were gone.

[angevin]

Fig demiglace sauce. Peel a few and then mash through a medium seive. Add to demiglace and reduced red wine. Season very judiciously with sugar and balsamic to taste.

Goes great with duck.

[Lapin d'Argent]

Grill figs split in half, coated with olive oil, salt and pepper, cut side up, until they "blossom," and the bottoms are nice and charred. Drizzle with really good balsamic vinegar, and top with chunks of Great Hill Blue cheese. Eat all of them by yourself.

OK, you can share, but you'll wish you hadn't...

[lesliec]

I also wish I had Tom's problem. Plus it's the middle of winter for us so I can't even buy fresh figs!

Try fig tart: base of shortcrust pastry topped with frangipane (lightly toast 75g each whole almonds in the oven at 180°C or so, when cool blend with 75g sugar, add 75g butter and an egg and pulse in food processor until combined - you'll only need about a quarter of this, but try finding 1/4 of an egg!) then with 10-15 quartered fresh figs arranged over the top. Sprinkle with sugar or brush with egg wash if you like. Cook at 200°C for 45-50 minutes.

Or ... find a good black pudding - you want one that almost melts when it's hot, so some experimentation may be required. Gently fry slices in butter. Halve figs and warm them up in the same pan, aiming for slight browning of the cut side. Serve with a light drizzle of honey. Sounds strange; tastes fantastic.

[LindaK]

What a lovely problem! The fig/blue cheese/proscuitto combo is delicious beyond belief, as is a fig tart. I love the ideas of fig demiglace and figs on pizza. Figs are great eating out of hand, but I find they benefit from heat, which concentrates their flavor.

Add figs halves to an antipasto platter, they really compliment cured meats. Figs w/ vanilla ice cream and honey is a classic dessert--even better after a quick saute in butter to carmelize them a bit.

I get a lot of mileage out of dried figs, if you're inclined to dry them. They're good in fruit compotes, chopped and added to quick breads or hearty yeast breads that also include nuts, and savory bread stuffings for pork or duck.

[roosterchef21]

Macerate them in a sweetened Armagnac, Cognac or brandy. Or try the same with port, muscat or tokay.

Grill them in a pan with some butter and add brown sugar or vincotto. Or maybe honey.

[judiu]

Several more ideas just came to mind....

Fig clafouti sounds like it would be delightful. Fig crostatas are classic of course.

For more savory, the August Bon Appetit has a recipe for a grilled pizza with figs and Italian sausages. I believe the dough was dressed with a vinaigrette made with pomegranite molasses. Unfortunately, the magazine's already been picked up by the recyling guys, or I'd give you more details....

Here's a link to the recipe on Epicurious.com; they have all the Bon App. recipes there. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Sausage-and-Fig-Pizza-with-Goat-Cheese-360090

[djyee100]

HELP. I am having a great problem. I am harvesting over 2 pounds of figs per day.

I don't feel sorry for you.

I attended a cooking demo recently and tasted a fig marmalade with lamb sausages. The fig marmalade was delish. So were the sausages. Since you have a fig tree, you can wrap the sausage meat in fig leaves & grill 'em. Lucky you. The recipe is from Victoria Wise's Sausage, available on Googlebooks, page 97:

http://books.google.com/books?id=ABkfNxwy708C&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=wise+turkish+lamb+sausage+fig+fennel+marmalade&source=bl&ots=9fLEpoNOhv&sig=UMRBtd9xXkHNvkWu6PS61kIt1Nw&hl=en&ei=Q_FJTMelI4X0swP-__VI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Tom Gengo]

Enjoy fast, according to my distributor they are going up in price and down in quality now.

Cost is nada, but there is only 1 week left of harvesting the tree I planted 5 years ago.